


Like an Open Book

by GrungeIsDead



Category: Blink-182
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2018-09-26 08:53:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9877973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrungeIsDead/pseuds/GrungeIsDead
Summary: Being inside my head, there isn’t much to see. It’s pretty typical in terms of teenage guy stuff, meaning it’s always full of shit. There’s days where it’s completely empty, and days where it won’t shut up. It’s normal, I guess, for the most part. You see, I have this thing. You’re probably gonna think I’m crazy, but just listen for a few seconds. I don’t wanna say I can read people’s minds, because I can’t. It’s kind of like that though. I can see and hear snippets of thoughts of those I make eye-contact with. I know, I know, you think I’m lying. It’s only natural. But the thing is, it’s true. I don’t expect you to believe me, but hear me out. It can be both a blessing and a curse. Imagine you’re walking down the hallway only to meet eyes with your teacher. Suddenly, you get a flash of them having wild animal sex with their spouse, and boom: day ruined. But then, it has it’s perks, like looking at the instructor and then getting an image of all the right answers on the exam. Both ways are inevitable. But, for whatever reason fate intended, in my senior year, I met someone whom I couldn’t read, and that person changed everything.





	1. Chapter 1

I’m going to be honest, you’re probably going to get bored with this. 

Being inside my head, there isn’t much to see. It’s pretty typical in terms of teenage guy stuff, meaning it’s always full of shit. There’s days where it’s completely empty, and days where it won’t shut up. It’s normal, I guess, for the most part. You see, I have this thing. You’re probably gonna think I’m crazy, but just listen for a few seconds. I don’t wanna say I can read people’s minds, because I can’t. It’s kind of like that though. I can see and hear snippets of thoughts of those I make eye-contact with. I know, I know, you think I’m lying. It’s only natural. But the thing is, it’s true. I don’t expect you to believe me, but hear me out. It can be both a blessing and a curse. Imagine you’re walking down the hallway only to meet eyes with your teacher. Suddenly, you get a flash of them having wild animal sex with their spouse, and boom: day ruined. But then, it has it’s perks, like looking at the instructor and then getting an image of all the right answers on the exam. Both ways are inevitable. But, for whatever reason fate intended, in my senior year, I met someone whom I couldn’t read, and that person changed everything.

“Hey, Mark, what’s goin’ on?” My good friend Dan walked up to me and slapped my back. I turned and smiled at him, making sure to keep my gaze on his nose rather than his eyes. I closed my locker and adjusted my books in my hands. 

“We have math, right?” I asked him, trying to make casual conversation. 

“Yeah. We’re doing that trigonometry bullshit.” He answered. We walked through the hallway toward our class, my eyes staying on the floor. A few people said hi to me as we made our way to our destination, but i just politely waved and kept looking away. At one point, I accidently looked at Stacey Parker, a chick in my science class. I got a flash of a woman, most likely her mom, in a towel on the front step. I thought to myself: damn, Stacey’s mom has got it goin’ on. I laughed at my internal pun and turned the corner to the hallway I needed to be in. 

“Yo dude, I’m gonna high-tail it to class. Ms. Montwell has it in for me and I’ve already had 6 tardies this week! Listen, I’ll catch you later bro.” Dan said while running away from me. The class was still pretty far away from where I was, but I didn’t feel like running to save 2 minutes. I’m just not that kind of guy.

The hall was pretty much empty by then, and I strolled along, letting my mind drift without worrying about meeting someone’s eyes and being forced to see them jacking off to a poster of Michelle Pfeiffer. I thought about what I was doing this weekend, and if I would finally go to that party this kid Charlie was hosting. I knew some people that were going, but I wasn’t friends with them, necessarily. Maybe I’d meet some new people, let loose…

As I walked down the hall, completely lost in my own thoughts, I almost bumped into this kid turning the corner. I barely had time to see him.

“Sorr-” I stuttered, but couldn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t know what came over me in that moment, but as soon as looked up at the figure standing in front of me, I couldn’t speak. I was pretty sure he was a freshman, maybe a junior. He was so tall, though. He was lean from his chest to his neck, and from there on… I dared to look up past his red cheeks and into his eyes, taking the chance of seeing something weird. They were big brown orbs, full of light, and quite frankly, embarrassment. I expected something to flash into my brain, but when nothing came, I got a little confused. I couldn’t read him, as if he was blocked or something. I looked at his eyes a little more insistently, but I still couldn’t get a thing out of him.

“Excuse me.” He said, in a sort of high-pitched voice. He stepped out of my way and kept walking down the hallway, leaving me standing there. He turned the corner at the end of the hall and everything returned to how it was before; silent, calm, and still. 

What the hell was that? 

I shook my head slightly, thinking that maybe I had imagined the whole thing. Maybe it had been a flash from somebody else. Maybe I was just tired. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until after Math class. Maybe I didn’t have to wait for it at all. 

But why didn’t I see anything? Is he just really, really dumb? His head is empty… Maybe it was the surprise of bumping into to him that made my mind go funny, or his go blank. Maybe it was...

Just let it go Mark.

I nodded to myself, and made a bee-line to Ms. Montwell’s class before she could accuse me of something ridiculous like getting high and spending too much time in the boy’s bathroom. The last thing I wanted to do was spend a whole 75 minutes doing trigonometry, but at least it would clear my head and get me back on track for the rest of the day.

Before I walked into the room, I took a deep breath and arranged my hair a little. 

There. That’s better.


	2. Party - Part 1

I went home that day with a light feeling in my chest, knowing that the endless possibilities of the weekend laid ahead. Being a senior, I owned a car, so I didn’t have to take those stupid school busses that smelled like shit and were as noisy as a football stadium on Superbowl Sunday. 

I threw my bag in the front seat and climbed into the cramped vehicle. The first thing I did (after starting the car) was pop in a cassette of The Cure. I slowly backed out of the parking lot and turned onto the road, driving away from the prison I called school. 

Just a few more months and I’ll be out of here.

I drove for a few mindless minutes, deciding finally that I would go to Charlie’s party, because what else was I gonna do on this lovely Friday evening? I glanced at the clock on the dashboard, and figured I had a few hours before the party started. The next ten minutes were a breeze.

Once I was home, I showered and got dressed. It was a little too early to have supper, but if I didn’t eat now, I wouldn’t have time before I had to leave. I decided to skip the meal tonight and just snack to compensate. I’d done it before right?

I wasted some time by playing the bass my dad got me. I sucked, naturally, but I still played because playing an instrument was cool. Plus, if I kept playing, I’d get better. That was usually how things worked. 

Finally, it was time to leave, after what felt like an eternity. I practically ran out the door and jumped into my car in record time. I didn’t know why I was so excited for this party, but something was up about it. Maybe it was because I wasn’t afraid of my friends being there and seeing me do stupid shit, or maybe it was because I was bored as all hell. Any way you put it, I was stoked. 

***

It was now 7:00, and I had had a couple of beers. I was sitting on the couch with a few other people, and the place was packed. Someone had brought coloured lights and the whole place glowed of red and blue. Some punk rock was playing loudly out of the speakers, the bass being turned on max. It was my kind of place. 

Some dude handed me another beer, and I thanked him for it, opening it and taking a swig. I was sort of getting into the atmosphere of the place, meeting people’s eyes and seeing that they were just as tipsy as I was. I started to get a little turned on by the vibrations of the bass from the speakers, the smoke from weed and cigarettes, and the alcohol. Being inside people’s heads didn’t help either, because everyone was horny as shit. Bodies were everywhere, people were dancing, grinding, almost fucking in certain cases. It was a true senior party. 

I spotted a group of people I knew somewhat and decided to get my mind out of the gutter and into a conversation. I stood up from the couch and quickly checked if I had a ‘situation’ going on down south. Thankfully I didn’t, and made my way over to the group. There was this kid, Colin, that was in my physics class, so at least I could talk to him.

“Hey dude, what’s up?” I walked up to him, raising my beer as a hello. I kept my eyes on the rims of his glasses.

“Mark! Awesome you could make it, how’s it going man?” Colin replied, nudging his friends to tell them who had shown up.

“It’s going good. Mind if I join your little clique?” I laughed, trying to be as friendly as possible. 

“Yeah, yeah, no problem. Guys, this is Mark. Mark, these are the guys.” he said, smiling.

“Hi.” I said simply.

“We were just talking about how Greg here can’t muster up the courage to ask out Denise, and how he’s gonna be alone forever, ain’t that right?” Everyone laughed, and I chuckled along, realising their conversation was going to be a boring one. Honestly, I don’t understand why dudes always talk about chicks. Like, ALL THE TIME. I understand the occasional chatter, but with these guys, it’s always tits, pussy, or ass. Talk about sex addicts.

I let them go on and ramble at each other, occasionally laughing when the others do, not paying attention. The music got louder somehow, and it was easier to drown them out. They droned on and on, to the point where I was just going to leave. No one had given me any more beer, and standing there was starting to get dull. 

I turned around to scope out the door and make an exit, my eye caught something. I craned my neck to get a better look, and I realized what I was looking at. Well, whom I was looking at. It was the boy I bumped into earlier today, the one I couldn’t read. I had forgotten all about the incident, but everything came rushing back to me. The tall, brown eyed…

“Hey, guys, who is that?” I asked, directing my attention back to the boys. 

“That guy over there with the Hurley T-Shirt you mean?” Colin asked. I nodded. “Oh yeah, uh, I think my girlfriend said he’s new. Apparently he has… problems.” He said. 

“Problems?” I asked, intrigued. Maybe something mental that stops me from seeing inside his head? 

“No one really knows, honestly.” Colin said. “He’s new anyways, so it’s not like it matters.” He said, turning back to his friends. I frowned.

“What’s his name?” I asked, not finished with my investigation. 

“Oh my god dude, who cares?” Colin snapped, keeping his back turned away. What a freaking dick. I asked like two questions.

I didn’t want to stick around any longer with those pricks, even if only one guy snapped at me. I really was intrigued by this new guy though, and I really wanted to find out more about him. I didn’t quite know why I was so inclined to meet him, but something made him stand out. I mean, he was averagely attractive and looked pretty normal… So what was it about him? 

Before I knew it, I was walking toward him.


	3. Party - Part 2

“Hi.” 

What an idiot. I am such an idiot.

He turned to look at me, his eyes running once over my body, and then back to my face. I wasn’t surprised when I got a long look at his big brown eyes without anything flashing into my head. I knew I couldn’t read him. 

“Uh, hi.” He answered. Shit, what do I say now? This is what I get for going in without a game plan. He stood there awkwardly, holding his beer in one hand and the wall with the other. His hair hung down a little into his face, the dim lighting in the room causing it to cast a shadow across his features. I had to think of something to say before I stared too long, which was becoming a habit of mine. 

“You’re new right?” I asked, sounding like a 14 year old with the hilarious voice-crack that occurred. 

“Yeah.” He answered. Yeah? That’s it? I had to think of something else pronto. 

“So what do they call you?” I asked, trying to be witty.

“Weirdo, Loser, Asshole, the works.” He replied. 

“I meant your name.” I said, stepping slightly closer without realising it. 

“Delonge.” He said. “Tom Delonge.” 

“Cool name.” I said, not really knowing what to say.

“What’s yours?” He asked.

“Mark Hoppus.” He stood there, looking at me with curious eyes and a questioning face. I thought to myself, ‘now would be a handy time to be able to see inside his head.’ I wasn’t used to being unsure of what someone was thinking, their ideas and thoughts about me and the situation. What was going on up there? He was just looking at me, his eyes going up and down and up and down. “What?” I asked. All he did was shrug. “You know the host or something?” 

“No.” He said. What was with this guy and his one word answers? 

“Well then why are you here?” I asked.

“Maybe you should stop sticking your nose into other people’s business.” He snapped, and turned toward the door, setting his empty beer bottle on the table and promptly leaving the room. I was taken aback by his sudden rudeness, but followed him nonetheless. 

As soon as I opened the door to the fresh night air outside, it felt like I had been hit by a wave of cool water. Everything felt better, and I was feeling a lot more aware. I looked around for Tom, noticing that he was at the bottom of the stairs.

“Hey, buddy!” I shouted, stepping down the stairs. He turned around to face me, rolling his eyes. 

“What’s your problem dude?” He yelled. I was face to face with him now. 

“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled. 

“Who put you up to this? You think you’re gonna get your laughs with your buddies? Pick on the new guy, that’s it? I’m not gonna fall for it! So back off!” He screamed, anger in his eyes. Was that what he thought this was? Just a practical joke? 

“No no no, dude! I haven’t seen you around before, so I wanted to know if you were new! I didn’t want any trouble, I swear.” I explained. The trust was, I didn’t know why I wanted to know him. This was all very weird. 

He glared and turned away, starting to walk off the property. I really didn’t want him to go, but I didn’t want to cross any lines either. I was really bombing at conversation skills, and my ‘powers’ weren’t helping at all either. So I just said the first thing that came into mind. 

“Do you need a ride?” 

He looked at me questioningly. 

He sighed. “I guess.” I nodded and finished going down the last few steps. I started walking toward my car, Tom following behind me at a fair distance. No one else was outside except for the rare smoker, and some dude paying the pizza guy. My stomach grumbled at the smell, and I remembered that I hadn’t eaten dinner. I silently hoped that Tom didn’t live too far.

We got to my car and I unlocked the door, getting into the front seat and putting the key in. Tom came around the other side, and sat uneasily next to me. 

“I’m not gonna bite you know.” I said. 

“I know.” He replied, but still didn’t face me. I frowned and started the car, pulling out of the overcrowded driveway and into the street. We sat in silence for a few minutes, feeling the most awkward I had in years.

“Uh, so, where do you live?” I asked. It sounded a little creepy, but I quickly realized I needed the information. 

“Morrow Street, Poway.” He replied. I tried not to sigh. Poway? That was on the other end of town! It would take at least twenty-five minutes to get there. What was I thinking offering this guy a ride? I didn’t even know him! I still hadn’t figured out what made me so inclined to talk to him. I was really freaking hungry too. Ugh.

“Alright then.” I said, pressing play on my tape. If we were gonna be there for a while, it was better to have music. The familiar sound of The Cure started playing from the speakers, and I automatically relaxed, even if it was just a little. I glanced at Tom, seeing if he had any reaction to the music that was playing. To my surprise, he did. 

“You like The Cure?” He asked, his eyes becoming bright.

“Yeah, they’re like, my favourite band.” I answered nonchalantly. 

“No way dude, me too! They’re not that popular though…” He said. Tom liked The Cure? Wow, that was pretty cool! At least he had that going for him.

“Yeah I know, that’s kind of what I like about them.” I replied. That was the first time I had ever seen him smile. 

“What’s your favourite album?” He asked, suddenly intrigued. I guess I had found his sweet spot.

“Probably Wish or Disintegration. What about you?” I asked. 

“This one.” He said, pointing to the tape. He grinned at me and turned to look out the window, probably trying to hide the inevitable smile that was plastered across his face. I turned the radio up and hummed along to the song that was playing. Damn, I loved that band.

After a few minutes, we reached a crosswalk where two people were crossing the street. I made the mistake of looking a woman in the eye, and my surroundings changed. The image of a living room, where the woman in question was facing a man, and his hands were in places that are not appropriate to mention in a family friendly environment. When I came back to reality, we were headed toward the curb.

“Mark!” Tom shouted, and I swerved back onto the road. I shook my head and blinked my eyes a few times. “What the hell?” He said.

“Sorry man, I lost focus for a second there.” I answered. The last thing I wanted was to scare Tom away. “Maybe I’m just too hungry.” I said. Maybe that’ll give me an excuse to stop and grab something to eat.

“Oh, did you eat anything back there?” He asked, I was surprised at his concern.

“Nah, I just drank a few beers and then sat around.” I replied. 

“Okay, well, me neither to be honest. Let’s pick something up.” He said. Now we’re talkin’.

“What do you want?” I asked, not really caring what he chose.

“I know this really good place that has burritos to die for. It’s called Sombrero’s. It’s over near the old high school.” He said. 

“Sounds like a plan!” I exclaimed, turning up the radio once again.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Drive

We sat in the booth at the back of the restaurant, across from each other. Tom was still working on his burrito, but I had finished it a long time ago. I sipped on my Coke as I looked around, examining my surroundings. I was glad I had avoided the cashier’s eyes; it would have made things worse with Tom if I zoned out again. 

Even though I knew I couldn’t read him, I still tried. I wasn’t really sure how to make it work, and what was stopping me from getting inside that guy’s head. I sure as hell hadn’t lost it, but it was frustrating nonetheless. Every time I would meet his eyes, I kept expecting a flash of something to come across my vision. But, after a few awkward seconds, all I got was a view of those gorgeous brown…

Wait. Gorgeous? No, not gorgeous. What the hell Mark? 

I focused my attention on my drink to get my mind off things. Tom hadn’t said a word since we sat down, and he was now nearing the end of his burrito. I had to think of a topic of conversation, pronto. 

“So, when did you move here?” I asked, taking my eyes off the table. 

“Last week. We’re not even done unpacking.” He replied, shoving the last bit of his meal into his mouth. 

“What made you move here, of all places?” I prodded, trying to get to know his situation a little better. Maybe we could even become friends. 

“My parents just got divorced, and my mom, sister and I moved out. We go to the high school here now.” He answered, tapping on the table. “My dad wasn’t so cool.” 

“I’m sorry.” I said, not knowing what else to say. He nodded and looked down at his shoes. I glanced down at them too, noticing the used pair of vans.

“You skate?” I asked.

“Yeah.” He replied.

“You good?” 

“I think so. I don’t know man, that’s kind of a weird question to ask.” He said. I shrugged. Cool, so he skateboarded. That was a plus.

“Whatever dude, let’s go, it’s almost one.” I said, and we stood up to leave. We grabbed our drinks and headed out of the restaurant. 

As soon as we got into the car, Tom pressed play on the tape, and we rolled out of there smoothly. We were about 10 minutes away from where he said he lived. 

“What grade are you in?” He asked, out of the blue. I turned a corner and sighed. 

“I’m a senior.” I answered. “It’s my last year.” He nodded, and looked out the window. “You?”

“I’m in grade nine, but I’m supposed to be in grade ten.” He replied. He was younger than I thought he’d be. 

We drove in silence other than the music playing. It wasn’t as tense as before, I could tell Tom was relaxed. He drummed along with the song on the side of his seat, and occasionally moved his fingers as if he was playing guitar. I noticed that the chords he was ‘playing’ looked pretty authentic. Maybe he played in real life?

“Dude, do you play guitar?” I asked him. He looked at me strangely. 

“Yeah. How did you know that?” He questioned, his eyebrows furrowing. 

“You’re playing chords.” I pointed out. “I would know, I’m a bassist.” I laughed. He smiled at me.

“Really? That’s pretty cool man.” He smirked, turning back to look out the window. This kid was turning out to be a pretty awesome guy. He liked a lot things that I did, and he wasn’t an asshole like most people in this freaking town. 

We drove the rest of the way without speaking, the humming of the car calming us both. I turned down Morrow Street, and Tom pointed to a gray house on the corner. I pulled into the driveway and put the car in park, turning down the radio. 

“Thanks for ride.” He said simply. 

“No problem. Hey, you’ll be at school Monday, right?” I asked him. Why, you might ask? I didn’t know. 

“Yeah, I don’t skip. I’ll be there.” He said. 

“Wanna hang out?” I asked. What was with me and questions?

“Whatever man, sure. I’ll see ya later.” And with that, he opened the door and got out, slamming it shut. As I backed out, I watched him walk through the front entrance and thought to myself, ‘I’m so not done with him yet.’ 

I was kind of getting tired from the day’s events, and decided to head home pronto. My house was about fifteen minutes away, and I really didn’t want to be a wreck the next morning. As I pulled away from Morrow Street, I remembered all the cool things Tom was into, and awesome these next few months were going to be.


	5. Chapter 5 - Announcement

It was Monday again, my alarm beeping loudly as I rolled over in my bed. The sun shined through the window into my eyes as soon as I got onto my other side, and cursed the gods who chose for the sun to rise in the east. 6:30 was way too early to wake up. 

As for my weekend, that consisted of the couch and a tv, sometimes a toilet and a fridge. After the party on Friday, my life had returned to the boring reality that it usually was. I had to resort to avoiding my mom’s eyes at all costs, as well as my sister’s. I hated seeing their thoughts, images of their boyfriends lifting weights in their underwear. Ew. 

I slammed my hand down on my alarm clock, sighing at the inevitability of my waking. As soon as I sat up, my head started pounding and my eyes felt droopy. Ah Mondays. 

After getting dressed and combing my hair until it looked decent enough to go out, I headed downstairs and grabbed a banana for breakfast. My mom and sister weren’t awake yet, and I was absolutely fine with that. I didn’t need mindless arguing anyway.

I got outside and climbed into my car, remembering who had sat there just a few days ago. I really hoped I’d see him at school. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, and I wanted to get to know him even more than I already had. 

I backed out of the driveway and sighed as I hit the road. I had one thought on my mind. 

***

“Dude, what are we even doing right now?” Dan asked, reaching across some other guy to talk to me. We were sitting in History class, it should have been obvious, and I was reminded that Dan wasn’t the smartest person in the world. 

“Check the board.” I whispered, turning back to the front. The last thing I wanted was to get in trouble for someone else’s mistake. 

“Alright everyone, we’re gonna take a break from this for a few minutes, Mr. Cory has an announcement to make.” Ms. Meecher said, gesturing to the Principal walking in. The whole class stopped what they were doing and focused on the new arrival. 

“Hey guys, so as you’ve probably heard, we have a new student here at school. I expect you all to have respect and kindness for this young man.” Mr. Cory looked over toward the door, and somebody walked in. “This is Tom Delonge, he’ll be in your gym class and perhaps some of your arts classes.”

Tom! He walked in with his back hunched, his eyes facing the floor, head hanging low. I could tell he didn’t want to be there. I wanted to call his name out, wave at him, maybe make him feel more at home, but I decided not to. Mr. Cory rambled on about something stupid like lates, taking any opportunity he had in front of students. My eyes stayed focused on Tom, in case he looked up. 

A few moments later, Tom dared to look up at his soon-to-be classmates, and his big brown eyes met with mine. His gaze brightened, and I almost saw a slight smile appear on his lips. I discreetly lifted my hand to give him a little sign, and then I was sure about that little smile. It was… cute, I guess. Yeah, cute. 

“Thank you everyone.” Mr. Cory turned to leave, grabbing Tom by the shirt sleeve and leading him out. Tom tried to keep his eyes on me until the door was shut behind him.

After about two minutes, I heard Mr. Cory’s voice talking sternly in the hall, most likely to Tom. It sounded like he was angry. Was he getting mad at Tom? It didn’t sound friendly, per se. Come to think of it, why would Mr. Cory drag Tom out by his sleeve? Surely that wasn’t regulation. 

I tapped my pencil nervously against my binder and waited for class to finish. As soon as lunch arrived, I was going to find Tom.


	6. Chapter 6 - Making Friends

The bell rang and I practically ran out of the class. My locker was pretty close, so after shoving my books away, I haigh-tailed it to the cafeteria. I kept my eyes trained on the floor to avoid any distractions and made my way through the crowded halls.

Once I reached my destination, I stood against the wall and tried to remain incognito. I scanned the area for Tom, feeling really protective for some strange reason. Usually I didn’t care about other people that much, especially new kids. Now, I spend one night with this dude and he’s like my own freakin son. I need to calm down a bit on the parenting and just be cool. I STILL didn’t comprehend why I gravitated toward him so much. I guess… he was just a lot like me.

After a few minutes of looking around, I spotted Tom sitting at a table alone. He sat there, eating a sandwich and keeping his eyes on his food. I really felt sorry for him, seeing him like that, all alone. Of course I was gonna go sit with him. It was the right thing to do. 

Just as I was about to go join Tom at his table, someone beat me to it. Johnny, a senior, sat down beside him and grabbed his shoulder, making Tom jump three feet into the air. My fists clenched at that, but I kept my distance, wanting to see how Tom was with other people. 

I watched them (as stalker-ish as that sounded) for a short time, hoping Johnny didn’t try anything. He had a reputation for being loud, obnoxious, and aggressive. He was usually nice with me, but with others…

I saw Johnny try to talk to Tom, but Tom kept his eyes down. Johnny got closer, but Tom didn’t move. I saw a smirk appear on Johnny’s face, and then Tom got red. I decided I wanted to know what they were talking about.   
I walked over to the table and sat in front of both of them, getting reactions from the two boys. I did it on purpose to meet Johnny’s eyes, and I got a glimpse of what was in his head. It was Tom, fighting a man who was much older than him. The setting seemed to be dark, as if they were in a basement of some sort. The man was winning, forcing Tom onto his back on the ground. The older man spat in his face, causing Tom to curl away from him. All of sudden, everything was back to normal again. What the hell?

“Hoppus, you met my new bud, Porky?” He laughed, punching Tom on the arm. I got aggravated at that. 

“What the fuck Johnny.” I said, putting on my best angry face. I tried to forget about what I had just seen and focus on the matter at hand. 

“Whatever dude, just know that this fucker’s had a… sexual past.” He laughed and elbowed Tom, causing the younger boy to shrink into himself and turn a bright shade of red. 

“Hey, fuck off man! Get outta here!” I exclaimed, shoving Johnny off the other side of the table. All he did was laugh and snicker, walking away back to his table of losers. What an asshole! He had no right to talk about Tom like that! What the hell was wrong with that dude? He’s a new kid, he’s probably scared out of his mind, and he needs to welcomed, not shunned. 

“Hey, don’t listen to that guy, he’s a real jerk.” I said, trying to reassure Tom. He just looked away from me, packing up his things and throwing out his trash. “Come on man, he’s just an asshole. He’s trying to get to you. Don’t let him” I tried. 

“What’s with this school?” He said quietly, standing up from the table. I did the same, not wanting to let him leave alone. 

“Trust me, everyone’s a little weird here.” I said, smiling. He didn’t return the grin, but instead started walking to the lockers. I fell in step beside him, and we walked together.

“Even you?” He asked. I arched an eyebrow.

“Me? Never.” I said sarcastically, and I thought I saw the corner of his mouth raise a little. He kicked his feet on the ground and sighed, turning away from me. 

Dammit, why couldn’t I see into his head? I just wanted to make him feel better!

“There are assholes all around here, Johnny is no exception. You just have to get used to it, and learn how to fight it.” I said. I’m sure I wasn’t making things better, but I had to try, right?

“Yeah whatever. It’s not as easy as it sounds.” He said. He reached his locker and opened it, throwing his books inside and slamming the metal door shut. He practically melted to it by the way he slumped against it, the life taken out of him.

Man, I had to get this guy’s spirits up. 

“Okay. You know what? Let’s skip the rest of today. This place sucks, and so does everyone else here except for you and me. Let’s go have some fun, do something, and get you in a better mood.” I said, surprising even myself. 

He looked up at me with bright eyes, and at that moment, I was glad I couldn’t read his mind so I got to look at them longer. 

“What about Mr. Cory… He’ll probably be looking for me…” He trailed off. 

 

“Fuck Mr. Cory! Let’s go out and have some fun man!” I yelled. His frown broke into a smile and he pushed himself off the locker and up toward me. He nodded and tried to hide his smile with his hair. (Ha, he wasn’t fooling anyone) It was kinda cute. 

Cute. There was that word again! What the hell Mark! Quit it! 

“Where do you wanna go?” He asked, suddenly shy. I laughed at his timidness and the perfect location popped into my head. 

“I know just the place.”


	7. Chapter 7-The Destination

I led Tom outside into the parking lot where my car was parked, looking around to make sure no teachers were supervising the area. Seriously, it’s like they think we’re children or something. I glanced over at Tom for a second, and he had this nervous, shifty look on his face.  
“Don’t worry man, no one is here. The bell is about to ring anyway.” I said, attempting to reassure him. He nodded and quickly ducked into the passenger seat. I did the same on my side and shut the door.  
“Let’s just get out of here, alright?” Tom said, shooting looks out the window every now and then. Man, this guy was anxious. Maybe it had something to do with the way Mr. Cory talked to him in the hall…  
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and started the car. It was no use worrying when the objective was to make Tom feel better. We rolled out through the back of the parking lot and started down the road. As soon as the school was out of sight, Tom visibly relaxed. His shoulders slumped into the seat and he let out a deep breath. I decided not to ask about it.  
“So, this place is a bit of a drive, but it’s worth it, trust me.” I said, trying to instigate some kind of conversation. Tom smiled.  
“I’m gonna take a risk and trust your judgement then.” Tom said, a little bit of playful sarcasm in his voice. That’s what I liked to hear. “How far are we talking?” The younger boy asked.  
“Maybe half an hour.” I replied, checking my watch. It was almost one.  
“Cool.” Tom answered. I turned on the radio and we drove.  
\---------------------------------  
I pulled into the parking lot of this old bar, rusty cars surrounding us. It seemed pretty sketchy, even to me, but I knew this place well. The sign on the front said, ‘The Reef – Skate City’.  
“Where the hell are we?” Tom asked, glaring out the window at the run-down building in front of us.  
“Sabre Springs… It’s a bar, but what’s in the basement is even cooler.” I said, hoping to keep some mystery to the whole ordeal. I wasn’t gonna let Tom get away without a little fun.  
“Alright, that sounds really creepy.” Tom said, glancing at me with worry. I turned off the car and turned to him.  
“Don’t worry man, my dad used to own this place. I don’t see him anymore, and he sold it to a family friend, but its kosher. Everything is cool.” I assured him. He seemed to be quite the nervous kid. He was always careful about everything he did.  
“Okay.” He said simply, and got out of the car. I followed and locked it up.  
“Now, I’m gonna go in and ask for Rico. You just stay behind me and don’t say anything. If end up lying, just go along with it okay?” Tom’s eyes got wide. “It’s nothing serious!” I quickly added. I didn’t give Tom the chance to change his mind as I pulled him through the creaky glass door.  
The bartender gave us a strange look. I walked up to him regardless and leaned over the bar. Tom followed close behind, mimicking me. He was surprisingly calm.  
“Is Rico in?” I asked. The bartender leaned in and spoke a few inches from my face.  
“Who’s asking? Some punk kid with his snotty friend? Teenage boys are always trouble. I ain’t letting you through to him.” He said. I looked over at Tom. He shrugged.  
“We tried.” He said, started to leave. I grabbed his shirt and dragged him back beside me.  
“We’re friends of Rico’s. He’ll know who I am.” I said.  
“Rico told me never to accept teenage boys after what happened last year. I suggest you leave.” The bartender insisted. I pursed my lips and took a deep breath. Tom tugged on my sleeve as if to say, ‘You heard the man. Let’s scram.’ I wasn’t done yet.  
I purposely made eye contact with the bartender and what I saw was definitely not family friendly. I looked away almost instantly. Let’s just say this man had a thing for men. A very intense thing for men. And apparently a thing for Tom. For some reason I wanted to see more. I needed to know how to reach Rico and the only way I was going to do it was to actually know what the hell he was thinking about. I looked back up. I got a flash of Tom, in some random bed alone, his face flushed and sweaty, his brilliant eyes closed, squirming and his back arching, his hands were…  
Holy fuck.  
I looked away and felt my heartbeat race. What the fucking hell? No. No no no. It was just the adrenaline of the moment. Forget it Mark. Forget it. Forget. It. All it did was give me something to work with. Forget it.  
“He’s my boyfriend.” I said, despite my short of breath. I looked over at Tom and his face went blank. The bartender looked over at him.  
“Young man. Are you gay?” The bartender asked blatantly. Fuck. Tom would never say yes to that and he knew it. Well-played.  
“I’m bisexual actually. Men and women. The best of both worlds.” Tom said, smiling. He then laid his hand over mine to accentuate his point. What the fuck! He played along! That cunning bastard! I glanced down at our hands together and my heart jumped. The image from earlier played out in my head.  
Stop it Mark. Fucking stop it.  
“Hmm. I’ll be right back.” The bartender disappeared into the back. It took a few seconds for Tom to realize his hand was still over mine. He quickly retracted it.  
“Nice touch.” I said to him smiling. He rolled his eyes and a small smile appeared on his face. “Honey.” I added. He punched my arm and turned red. It was sweet.  
The bartender returned with a short black-haired Hispanic man, smiling at me with delight. Tom’s pinky inched over and entwined with mine. It took me by surprise but, of course, it was all part of the act.  
“Mark! How wonderful to see you.”  
“Whaddup Rico!” I smiled back at him. Rico looked over at Tom and raised his eyebrows.  
“You’re a lucky man.” He said to Tom. Tom blushed and stepped closer to me. Part of the act, Mark. Part of the act.  
“Well boys, I know you’re not here to drink, so follow me downstairs, I’ll get you set up.” Rico said. Tom looked over at me with worry.  
“Dude it’s fine. You gotta trust me.” I whispered. Tom nodded reluctantly and followed Rico and I toward the stairs.  
As we walked, Tom began to notice the rainbow flags and the peculiar painting scattered upon the walls. It must have finally clicked.  
“is this a gay bar?!” Tom gasped.  
“Yup.”


End file.
